Bloodied Sand
by Suzu Holic
Summary: Gaara meets a girl from his past named Naomi. A fellow, jinchuuruki, this red eyed girl's status is undefined. An enemy, or a friend...or more? GaaXOC, possible side pairings, TemaX Shika, KankuX OC Continuation to Glass Kunoichi! Pls R
1. Prologue

thinking'

_Flash back or dream _

"Talking"

**Demon or inner**

Gaara no Subaku sat solemnly on a swing in one of Suna's playgrounds. He swung slowly, back and forth, back and forth, holding his teddy bear loosely in the crook of his arm. Creaks emerged from the swing, alerting everyone that it was in use. No one went near that rusted swing. It was Gaara's spot. And wherever Gaara was, that place was desolated. His black rimed eyes ,courtesy of years of sleepless nights, surveyed a group of children laughing, kicking a ball, among themselves. For him, observing villagers was simply means of killing time, something which he had way too much of. That's how his days passed. In the day he would sit, on the groaning swing, watching children play, in the night, he owned the sleeping village of Suna. Today, however, something didn't go according to his daily routine.

One of the children got a bit too excited in the game, and kicked the ball, far past the goal. It landed on a high cliff, beyond their reach. The children sighed, they were about to turn around to go home when, a trickle of sand wafted around the ball, clutching it carefully, it brought the ball down…and into the arms of Gaara.

He looked at the ball, curiously, than at the children. They went rigid and took a step back, their faces each matted with fear. "Um…is this yours…?" Gaara said in a meek little voice. That was it. The children broke out into a run, sprinting as far away from Gaara, shrieking as they ran. Gaara dropped the ball. "Wait! Come back!" he ordered, his face now twisted in anger ad desperation. "DON'T LEAVE ME!" he shouted as a tendril of sand erupted and caught two children in it's trap. The girl caught, cried in terror and tried to claw herself away as the sand effortlessly dragged her closer and closer to Gaara. "Why?..."Gaara shook, "Why am I always Alone?!".

Suddenly there was a small burst of flame aimed for Gaara, his sand automatically protecting him as he staggered back in shock. He looked in the direction of where the intruding flame had come from when he saw a girl about his age, staring fiercely at him. "Call your sand back" she commanded him. Something about the girl scared him. The fact that she just through fire at him? No. There had been attempted assassinations on him several times. The fact that she possessed two, searing ,blood red eyes? Maybe. He scowled, regaining his senses. Just who did she think she was? "Call it back" she repeated, her voice going a notch higher. Gaara's eyes widened. She had just reprimanded him. _No_ one, aside from his father, the Kazekage, had ever reprimanded him. He relinquished his hold on the squirming girl, and drew the sand back to him, the ball and his teddy bear, forgotten at his feet.

They stared at each other. Meanwhile the group of children, took one glance at the both of them, before running away, screaming…again. Gaara hardly noticed, there was something else that held his attention at the moment. Her eyes softened, and she ran a delicate hand through her long ebony hair. "You should pick up your teddy bear. He's going to get dirty, lying in the dirt" she mumbled. He obeyed, and tucked it in his arm. He turned to look at her and nearly jumped two feet in the air when she was about a foot away from him. "You…" he started "you move so fast". She smiled, uneasily "it's a …gift of mine". Gaara cocked his head. "I think that you are like me". She blushed, "yes, I think so".

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It was dusk and they were still at the rusted swings, swaying back and forth. "Naomi-chan, why do you think people hate us so much?". "Maybe they don't like the color red…? You have red hair, and I have red eyes, but there's a kid back at home, who get's treated the same as me, but he's blonde with blue eyes". "Maybe they don't like people on swings?". "Maybe, that blonde kid sits on a swing a lot, but I don't. That's kinda like his spot, so I let him have it". "You told me your parents are dead…maybe they don't like people with dead parents". "Could be, you don't have your, mom, I don't have my parents, and that blonde kid doesn't have parents either…".

Gaara swayed to a stop. "I wish you could stay…forever" he mumbled. Naomi didn't answer she just kept her eyes downcast while swinging. "Gaara, I have to go soon". He looked up at her with pleading eyes. "I have work tomorrow, but as long as I'm here, I'll come to this spot, everyday, to check if you're here, ok?". Gaara pouted childishly, but nodded. Another rare smile graced her features as she stood up. "I'll see you soon, Gaara". "Bye…" he whispered but she was already too far to hear him.

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"Good evening, Gaara" he was greeted by Yashamaru. "Good evening" he said back. Yashamaru smiled and ruffled his hair, but then crouched till they were eye to eye. "I know what happened today with the kids at the playground". Gaara returned his gaze, his non existent eyebrows knitted together. Yashamaru blinked "you don't seem very sad, Gaara. Don't you feel regret for nearly hurting someone today?". A small smile crept on Gaara's face, "I know I should feel bad but…it's hard to feel regret when I'm so happy". Yashamaru cocked his head to the side, "why?". "Because…Yashamaru, I made a friend!". Yashamaru beamed and stood, "Wow! Your first friend! What's his name?". "Actually it's a she. Her name is Naomi. She has these really red eyes, at first I was afraid of, but now I think they're really pretty!". The smile fell from the older's face. "Red…eyes…?". "Uh –huh". "But…she is a Yuuhi. She's from Konoha. Not only that but…she's a jinchuuruki, like you". Gaara nodded "I know". Yashamaru blinked. "Oh, well, then in that case, that's fine. You got a long anyway". "I know" he said, winking at Gaara, "let's celebrate!". Gaara jumped. "Really?!". "You bet!".

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The next day, Naomi stayed true to her words and didn't appear at the playground. But Gaara wasn't one who was bound by the day. He silently crawled through the window and dropped gently to the ground. He saw Naomi's curled up figure, her breathing was easy and her face was completely devoid of emotion, something he could see even in the dark. The shadows cast shades of grey and black over her sleeping body. He inched forward. "Naomi" he whispered in her ear. Her eyes shot open oin a sudden burst of color as her glowing red eyes stood out amongst the black. Gaara smiled, happy to see his favorite shade of red again. "Gaara…you came through the window?". He nodded, pleasantly as she sat up, She stretched, much like a cat, and yawned as she, too, dropped to the floor. "So…what's up?". "Come on" Gaara said, "I want to take you with me to see Suna at night". Her eyes brightened, "you'll give me a tour?". "Of course".

And from then on, that's how Gaara's daily routine went, now, making space for Naomi. Things were different now. True, the other children still ran at the sight of them, but there was now a bond between them. People could see the difference, Yashamaru especially, when Gaara would gulp down his dinner, so as to go spend more time with Naomi, or wouldn't touch his food, telling Yashamaru, his stories for the day. Once or twice Naomi would eat dinner there, and engage in a conversation with Yashamaru, while Gaara, sat happily listening. Or Gaara would eat dinner with her, and Rangiko, the cheerful Jonin accompanying her, while trying to strengthen the treaty between Konoha and Suna. Sometimes all four of them would eat together, and have group activities. That's how Gaara's days and nights were spent. But one day, Naomi didn't come to the swing.

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Gaara stood in the kitchen watching Yashamaru tend to his wounds. "Yashamaru…I'm so sorry". Yashamaru smiled at him, "It's fine, I wasn't too hacked up". Gaara gritted his teeth, "this wouldn't have happened if Naomi were there. Naomi would have stopped me, and you wouldn't have had to protect that girl!". Yashamaru put his hands on Gaara's shoulders, "Gaara, it isn't Naomi's fault". "But it has to be! It has to be or it's…mine". He hung his head. "Gaara. It's not Naomi's fault, and it's certainly not yours. No one is at fault here". Gaara glanced at the picture of his mother. "Maybe it would have been better if I had never been born". He looked up at his uncle "do you hate me?". Yashamaru crouched. "No, I don't hate you. I love you. And my sister, your mother, did too. She died, wanting you to be happy, and every time your sand protects you, it's her, watching over you. She loves you, Gaara, she really does".

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Naomi glared at the Kazekage in rage. "Where's Gaara?". He only looked at her. "Where is he?!". He looked at her eyes, "he is killing Yashamaru right now". Naomi's eyes widened. "Don't you…" flames erupted around her, "DON'T YOU CARE?!". She sent a sphere of fire at him, her biggest one, yet that night. When she woke up that day, she had had Suna nin, trying to kill her all day in what the Kazekage, had called, a _test _of Konoha's military power. Rangiko had tried to intervene but the Kazekage, had pointed out, to intervene was to assault a Suna nin, and that would be breaking the existing treaty. The Kazekage dodged the flames, and Naomi had left a gaping hole in one of the buildings. She began to form another flame but thought better of it. She let it die down. "I'm going to help Gaara" she said then ran towards the giant clouds of sand. "If you can, Naomi, if you can…".

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"Why? Yashamaru, why…?!" Gaara sobbed beside the corpse as his uncle's last words echoed through his head… "_please die…". _"AHHHGGGHHHH!!!!" he sent his sand towards him, cutting himself with his own sand, permanently etching the kanji for love in his forehead. "Gaara!" a familiar voice called out to him. He turned around slowly to face Naomi. "Gaara, I-", he shot a tendril of sand at her. Her eyes widened and she leapt out of the way, with inhuman speed and agility and landed on her feet. "You…" Gaara clenched his fist, "Why did you leave me?! YOU LEFT ME WHEN I NEEDED YOU MOST!". He shot another tendril of sand, again she dodged it. "THIS IS YOUR FAULT!". Another deadly missile of sand. This time it hit it's mark. Naomi fell back, the air knocked out of her, as she rolled on the floor, clutching her stomach and coughing. The pain was excruciating, all his hate had been piled in that blow…and directed right at her. His murderous gaze locked on her, as sand started to wrap itself around her body and squeezing tightly. Suddenly there was an explosion of flames and the sand burst apart. "Gaara, don't be stupid!" she shouted, her eyes glowing, her pupils reduced to slits, like that of a cat. Gaara let the sand fall. "I'll kill you", he said. Naomi staggered backwards, "I'll kill everyone", he turned away from her and walked past the Kazekage. He kept walking past Temari. He kept on walking, past Kankuro. He kept walking, farther and farther, and farther away from Naomi…until he was gone.


	2. Reunion

'thinking'

_Flash back or dream _

"Talking"

**Demon or inner**

He was bored. Very bored. Bored enough to kill someone. Yeah, he was that bored. But he wouldn't kill someone. You know why? Because if he killed someone now…he wouldn't get to kill all the others later. Basically it was a marshmallow test. If he saved the one he wanted to kill, today, he could have a hundred more tomorrow. It makes sense, right? Yeah, so he would wait, but he was still bored. He could hear Shukaku tapping his claws impatiently in his mental prison. He too was blood starved. His sand hadn't been coated in blood for, what, two whole days? He let out a low sigh that no one could hear. It was downright annoying, walking through this lush, lively forest. Seeing all these, healthy, happy people…and not being able to kill any one of them. Meanwhile, Kankuro was getting more and more annoying by the millisecond, chatting with a Konoha girl he had met. She was with a Jonin, Kakashi Hatake was his name. Her name was Kiniko Hatake. He assumed they were related. Same white hair, same black eyes, probably siblings.

The Konoha genin, had whispered to the Jonin, something about some bird brained birds, or something like that, and his brother jumped to the possibility of conversation. So they talked, and talked…and talked. 'Jeez, won't he stop talking before I rip his tongue out?' Gaara thought to himself, as he watched an attempted _flirt _from Kankuro ,which the Hatake girl, seemed to have not comprehended. So annoying. 'When this village gets slaughtered , she'll be first on my list. If I can't kill Kankuro, then I'll at least kill the one who started him talking…'.

He continued Konoha, and went over the mission about siding with another village, village of sound, and overthrowing Konoha. They'd participate in some test, they'd wait for a signal in the third test, and, oh, his favorite part, then they'd destroy the whole village. Mission complete. Go home. Maybe slaughter another village on their way back. He could live with it. Temari cast him another glance. Obviously, she was checking to see if he would crack any time soon. He hated the color of her eyes. Wait, let's rephrase that. He hated her. He hated everything about her. Her sandy hair. Her pale complexion. Her smile .Her turquoise eyes, she looked like his mother, and he hated it. Never mind, he hated everything.

He noticed Baki staring at him from behind, he could feel his sensei's one visible eye drilling in to the back of his head. He was obviously waiting for any sign of violence within Gaara's features. Figures, why else would he watch his red headed pupil?

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"This is your stop" her brother , Kakashi said good naturedly, gesturing to the Hokage's building. "You can fill in the rest of your participation papers for the chunin exams, inside". The Suna genin, nodded, their sensei muttered a quick thanks, and Kankuro reluctantly, drifted away from her and after his siblings. Kiniko crossed her arms and watched them leave. "Kiniko", her brothers voice, made her turn. "It's good to have friends in ally villages, but it's better not to get to attached to them" he said, popping up his book of Ichi Ichi Paradise. She nodded slowly, her hand reaching in her pocket for one of her newly acquired Rubix cubes, "I know…they might turn on you". Kakashi ruffled her hair fondly, his eyes smiling, "just so you know, squirt".

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Baki had told them to explore the village. To pick up information, here or there that might prove useful to them. And so they did. In the process, however, they ran into a very annoying team of genin. "Hold on! I need you to show some identification" a pink haired kunoichi with emerald eyes, stated. Temari sighed and withdrew an ID, from her pocket. "Here's an ID. We're here for the chunin exams". "Chunin exams?" the blonde mumbled. For the first time, Gaara paid some attention to him. There was something about him that seemed familiar. Blonde with blue eyes, like a description from a dream… _"…there's a kid back at home, who get's treated the same as me, but he's blonde with blue eyes"._ Someone had once mentioned a boy that matched this description, but who? Come to think of it, that person was somehow connected to Konoha, but he just couldn't remember how.

A crease appeared between Gaara's eyes as he struggled to bring an old memory to the surface. Just who had said this to him before…?. Suddenly, a ring of fire surrounded Temari Kankuro and himself. They leapt back, getting closer together. "What are you doing , Naruto?" a voice asked , he turned to the direction of the voice and saw…red.

A pair of blood red eyes peered at him with curiosity, brimming it. The intruder stepped closer to the one called Naruto. The Uchiha jumped out of the tree to meet her, and the pinkette said to her, "it's fine, they're allowed here". The fire died down, disappearing in the air.

The voice, that voice he knew so well, but…who's voice was it? It triggered something, dragging an old dream to the front of his mind. The image of a flame, a rusted swing, a ball… Gaara clenched his fist, grinding his teeth together. He knew this voice. He knew the sound. But he couldn't remember. Why couldn't he remember?! 'Why, why, why?!' Gaara screamed to himself . It hurt, not being able to remember. 'This voice…how…could I forget?'.It had belonged to a person, from his past, who he was close to. BUT WHO?!

He couldn't see the owner of the voice. The Pinkette was blocking his view. He was desperate. Desperate to retrieve that memory which had been drowned by the years. Shukaku had hidden it, locked it away in the vaults of Gaara's mind, and he wasn't giving it up to him. 'I just need to see her face…'. He was close to swiping her away just so he could get a better look. Thank fully she stepped out of the way, and instead walked over to the Uchiha. Now he looked at the mysterious figure, and saw, there it was again! Red! Not just any red. Bright blood red, his favorite kind of red. The blood red eyes, rested on a pale, delicate face, framed with midnight black, locks of ebony. She stared at him, emotionlessly, She turned slowly to the pinkette. Her delicate lips moved, and he heard her clear, mesmerizing voice again…but, the words… "Who are these?" she asked.

Dum dum dum….end of first chapter. As you may have noticed, there was a time skip. Since Gaara, and Naomi were 6 in the prologue (man that was a long prologue) and they are both thirteen now, that was a skip of 7 years and (gasp!) Naomi doesn't seem to remember him at all!!! Reviews are most welcome, and the more reviews , the faster the next chapter comes!

Remember, review!

JA!


	3. Second thoughts

'thinking'

_Flash back or dream _

"Talking"

**Demon or inner**

Gaara was trembling. She didn't know who he was. But wait, maybe she would remember. Yes, he remembered, didn't he? She would too. She had to… "Gaara…" Kankuro said, "this girl…". Gaara tried to shut his brother's voice out, and he returned his gaze to Naomi. Nothing. No spark of realization lit up her blood red eyes. The corner of her mouth didn't twitch for a smile meant for him. She didn't remember him. Period.

Gaara tore his eyes away from her and turned around to walk away. "Gaara, wait up!" Temari shouted, but Gaara threw a piercing glance at her that made her stop dead, in her tracks.

"I want to be alone"

"but-"

"Alone!" he almost choked out.

He disappeared in a swirl of sand, leaving the grainy gold where he had stood. Now that he was over the shock of encountering Naomi again, emotions started flowing through him. The hope died away, and it was replaced by anger. Anger that she didn't remember him. Anger that she had moved on. And where there was anger, there was the familiar blood lust. He remembered his promise, his vow to her, that he would be the one to kill her. Yes, her life's sole purpose was to be taken by him. That's what she was for. She was just another helpless little fawn to be slaughtered by the big bad wolf. And she didn't even know it, poor, naïve, weak, helpless, little fawn. Poor ignorant, useless little fawn!

He banged his fist on a wall, picturing her smiling lightly at her new 'friends'. She had forgotten him, left him, and abandoned him, and she would pay! No one who deserted him could be allowed to live. She was a traitor, she had betrayed him, and now she would die. He smiled wickedly to himself, making a promise to himself that before he left this village, she would be at his mercy, and he would not be kind. He slinked off ,into the shadows of Konoha.

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Kankuro had left her a while ago, probably trying to locate the Hatake girl. Temari now wandered through the streets of Konoha, noting that security was lax. Didn't any of them think there might be an invasion? Any of those vendors could be master poisonists, waiting for the perfect opportunity to poison a jonin. Any of these children could be nothing but shinobi in disguise. Pitiful. Konoha was too open, to welcoming, to trustful. And so, it would fall, to real shinobi villages, villages which knew that danger was inescapable, danger was everywhere. She sighed and continued walking through the streets of the doomed city. As she walked she noticed a small flower shop.

'Might as well, since there aren't many flowers in Suna. This might actually be a learning

experience'.

She walked in. The sign above the door said, "Yamanaka Flower shop". As she opened the door several little brass bells twinkled, alerting the clerk that there was a customer. "Good morning and welcome to the Yamanaka flower shop!" , a girl with tied back platinum hair and baby blue eyes, said, stepping forward. "Good morning "Temari answered back, absentmindedly. She stood in a room bursting with color. Everywhere she looked, she saw a new, fresh flower, to her .Violets, Daisies, Tulips, Camillas, Roses, Jasmins, and in a corner behind the counter, a jar of healthy Cosmoses. She ran her hand over the petals of a large Poinsettia, beside her. A new feeling festered within her. A combination of pleasure ,amazement and hope.

The clerk could feel Temari's glee rolling off of her in waves. She smiled, "you like Poinsettias?".

"Poinsettia…" Temari repeated. "Yes, I like them".

She moved her eyes to the left and saw a slender white flower, "what's that?".

The clerk came closer and patted the flower, "that's a Narcissus, very nice in creating a

calm aura".

The clerk looked up and saw Temari staring at the Cosmos with wide eyed fascination.

"That, there is a cosmos, not many know it's name but it's very common around here".

Temari looked away and instead looked at the floor. "I've never seen it. There aren't many flowers in the desert. She looked up, "I'll take the Poinsettias…and the Narcissus". The clerk smiled, "very nice choices , I'll pack them for you". As the clerk wrapped up the purchase, Temari wandered through the multicolored shelves.

She returned to the counter and saw her purchase wrapped neatly and ready for pick up. "Thank you for coming!" the clerk called. Temari was almost out the door when the clerk shouted, "wait!". She ran around the counter and stuck the lone cosmos in Temari's purchase. Temari looked at her questioningly.

"It's on the house" the clerk said simply. You need it to balance out the colors of your plants. There's red, for war and bloodshed, then white for peace and purity. The cosmos is pink , a combination of red and white, and is the balance of peace and war".

Temari blinked, "thanks…"

"Don't mention it".

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Shikamaru Nara was always known as being lazy. That's why, he was very, very reluctant to part with his bed to go on an errand for his mother. He left with the usual, "troublesome" and went on his way to the Yamanaka flower shop to pick up his mother's purchase. However, when he saw a girl with wild sandy hair and beautiful turquoise eyes walk past him, man, forget the bed, this trip was so worth it.

"She likes the Cosmos" Ino said as soon as he walked in. "What are you blabbering about?" he retorted. Ino's smile morphed into a smirk, the girl who walked out just now, with the sandy hair. She likes the Cosmos flower. "Why should I care about what some troublesome woman likes?" he asked, tilting his head to the side. Ino rubbed her chin thoughtfully ,"oh, I don't know. It might be a useful tip when you start courting her. Don't think I didn't see you staring at her ". Oh God, no. Shikamaru had a choking fit.

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Gaara sat on a roof in Konoha, letting the breeze shift through his hair. He sat there, brooding, when he heard a soft thud on the roof behind him, he was about to set a tendril of sand upon the intruder , turned around and saw that it was just 'Naomi'. The night breeze blew her hair around her as she surveyed him. "You're that guy from this morning". Gaara nodded slowly. She took a step closer to him and examined him, "you look sick" she stated. "You should get some sleep. It's harder for whatever virus to get to you if you've had a good night's rest".

At this remark, Gaara let out a small smirk, "I don't sleep".

"Ever?".

"Never".

There was respectable silence between them for a long time, they just sat there, enjoying the breeze and looking out at the moon. It was like time froze just for them and neither of them were about to break the silence. They sat there totally aware that the other was there, and not needing conversation to prove it. The silnce expanded for hours until

"I have to go now" Naomi mumbled as she pushed herself up. Gaara's eyes followed her, his eyes pained, just as it had been at a rusty swing in Suna, seven years ago. He watched her go, she stood at the edge of the roof top, but then her head turned slightly at an angle, and she said, "I have a mission tomorrow, but…". She turned to face him fully, a very small almost unnoticeable smile on her face "…I'll come here every night to see if you're around". She leapt off of the rooftop and leaped, far and high in the air, before doing a twirl in the air and landed on her feet gently, with the grace a leopard might use for hunting, as if all she did was step forward. Gaara sat there, dumbstruck at the feat she had produced. So graceful. It was a pity he hadn't seen her grow…

That as he sat on the roof, he kept on replaying Naomi's acrobatic leap. And he replayed her smile, her words, her habits, her memories. He sat there till sunrise and he still remembered, every memory growing stronger, clearer and more vibrant, but then another thought sank in. While Shukaku rested, asleep and unaware of his containers doubts, a new thought emerged. Would he be able to kill her?

Chapter 3 is done. Again, reviews really make my day, and it would be nice to get some more. As you can see, Gaara is having second thoughts about killing his child hoofd friend, but, you just have to wait and see if he goes through with it, suggestions, opinions, requests and flames are most welcome, and I'll try them out. Hope you enjoyed it!


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